Date: July 29, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Erika Whitehead
(269) 585-7251
The City of Portage establishes its first-ever endowment fund with the Kalamazoo Community Foundation
Kalamazoo, Mich. – The Kalamazoo Community Foundation (KZCF) is pleased to announce that the City of Portage has agreed to open its first-ever endowment fund with KZCF. The Portage Cemetery Perpetual Care Endowment Fund was officially opened on July 1, 2024, following the aftermath of the May 7 tornado and several meetings to discuss fund specifics.
“By partnering with our Community Foundation, we elevate our earnings, double-down on the paper trail and increase accountability,” said Patrick McGinnis, city manager for the City of Portage. “This also gives donors one more way to support the community they love. There are not many bright spots about running a cemetery, but this is one of them.”
The fund serves as a financial plan to make sure cemeteries in the City of Portage are taken care of in perpetuity. The fund will cover costs associated with landscaping, fixing roads and paths, and maintaining gravesites and buildings. This endowment fund will provide security and protection to buyers and offer peace of mind to families and community members that local Portage cemeteries will be well-maintained for years to come.
“I am so glad we have been able to establish this critical new partnership with the City of Portage,” said Cindy Trout, director of development at KZCF. “It is just a perfect example of the purpose and value of a community foundation that focuses on serving the entire County. I am confident that we will continue to learn new and different ways to better support our community members in Portage.”
About City of Portage
Portage is a Home Rule City of just under 50,000 people, incorporated in 1963. The City operates four cemeteries that require ongoing maintenance and improvement, and revenues do not quite cover expenses. Earnings from the investments at the Community Foundation will lighten the burden on future generations of Portage taxpayers.
About Kalamazoo Community Foundation
KZCF, established in 1925, has the vision of Kalamazoo County being the most equitable place to live, with the mission to mobilize people, resources and expertise and to advance racial, social and economic justice. Learn more at kalfound.org.
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